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llywela1. Apparently the Cornwall Crowd were all flooded out of their homes over the weekend. Hopefully they'll be dried out soon.
2. Deb and Ray took Mum and Chelsea to Disneyland Paris last week - lucky them! It seems that all the characters flirted with Chelsea, because they are all teenage boys underneath the costumes and she's a very pretty 16-year-old! Less happily, Chel had a cold all week that must have turned to an ear infection without her realising it - because of her glue ear, she lives with earrache every day of her life, so takes it for granted - and as she travelled home through the Chunnel, her ear drum ruptured! So she is now rather poorly and sorry for herself, poor dab.
3. Have a picspam of some of the places I've visited in the last couple of months, since I've been lazy about posting pics before now.
Okay so Caerleon, which was known to the Romans as Isca, was once the home of Legio II Augusta (2nd Augustan Legion) and today boasts a Roman legionary museum and the excavated remains of a Roman ampitheatre and barracks.
This is the ampitheatre:
It looks so peaceful and serene now - but just imagine what it must have been like around about the year 200AD, when the Roman occupation of Britain was at its height and this ampitheatre was in full use for chariot races, gladiatorial battles and executions.
And this is part of the excavated portion of the barracks, which would have once been bustling with soldiers:
Not too far from Caerleon, Tintern Abbey - or what's left of it - is a 12th century Cistercian monastery that sits on the Welsh side of the river Wye in Monmouthshire. The Abbey was founded in May 1131 and remodelled several times over the next 400 years before falling into ruin following Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century.
Here is a view north along the River Wye - to the left is the village of Tintern, which is in Wales. The opposite bank of the river is in England - Gloucestershire, to be precise.
Further north along the River Wye - and just across the border into England - is the village of Symonds Yat. Above the village is Symonds Yat Rock, once the site of an Iron Age hillfort - the view from up there is absolutely spectacular.
Meanwhile down in the village itself, if you want to cross the river but also wish to avoid a very long journey to the nearest bridge, why not take the hand cable ferry!
Back over the border into Monmouthshire, we have Usk Castle, which dates back to the first Norman incursions into Wales in the 12th century. Today, the castle is privately owned - which means that the remains have an air of eccentricity about them that you just don't get with National Trust or Cadw properties! Seriously. They ask for donations from visitors to pay for entry, but there is no one actually manning the gate. They simply trust visitors to be honest enough to leave a donation in the tin as they pass - and also ask all visitors to move a pebble each from one pot to another, so that they have a record of how many have passed by that day! It's all very low-tech.
As you climb the steep path up to the castle, this is the first sight that greets you:
Yep, visitors go at their own risk! Then as you reach the castle remains themselves, this is what you see:
How gorgeous is that! I wish I had a castle in my garden...
This is the sign on the gate as you go in:
And here they are - standing guard at the foot of the garrison tower, like good little guard geese!
Some more views around the castle interior:
(Yes, the support rail along that high wall does look rather flimsy. And yes, visitors are free to scramble around up there anyway!)
The remains of the chapel contain a very modern grave - that of Richard Humphreys and his wife Anne, who were responsible for excavating the castle in the 1930s and planted the gardens in and around it.
This strange monument stands just outside the castle walls - I have no idea what it is!
Also just outside the castle walls is this pets graveyard
The castle is owned by the Humphrey family, who live in Castle House, which incorporates part of the original medieval gatehouse
Also part of the original medieval structure later rebuilt for alternate use, this is the garage:
And last but not least, have a random view along the River Usk, just because
4. Is anyone else watching The Secret of Crickley Hall, the Beeb's current Sunday night mini-series? So creepy! Next week's third and final installment looks like it's going to be a real thrill ride - I can't wait!
2. Deb and Ray took Mum and Chelsea to Disneyland Paris last week - lucky them! It seems that all the characters flirted with Chelsea, because they are all teenage boys underneath the costumes and she's a very pretty 16-year-old! Less happily, Chel had a cold all week that must have turned to an ear infection without her realising it - because of her glue ear, she lives with earrache every day of her life, so takes it for granted - and as she travelled home through the Chunnel, her ear drum ruptured! So she is now rather poorly and sorry for herself, poor dab.
3. Have a picspam of some of the places I've visited in the last couple of months, since I've been lazy about posting pics before now.
Okay so Caerleon, which was known to the Romans as Isca, was once the home of Legio II Augusta (2nd Augustan Legion) and today boasts a Roman legionary museum and the excavated remains of a Roman ampitheatre and barracks.
This is the ampitheatre:
It looks so peaceful and serene now - but just imagine what it must have been like around about the year 200AD, when the Roman occupation of Britain was at its height and this ampitheatre was in full use for chariot races, gladiatorial battles and executions.
And this is part of the excavated portion of the barracks, which would have once been bustling with soldiers:
Not too far from Caerleon, Tintern Abbey - or what's left of it - is a 12th century Cistercian monastery that sits on the Welsh side of the river Wye in Monmouthshire. The Abbey was founded in May 1131 and remodelled several times over the next 400 years before falling into ruin following Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century.
Here is a view north along the River Wye - to the left is the village of Tintern, which is in Wales. The opposite bank of the river is in England - Gloucestershire, to be precise.
Further north along the River Wye - and just across the border into England - is the village of Symonds Yat. Above the village is Symonds Yat Rock, once the site of an Iron Age hillfort - the view from up there is absolutely spectacular.
Meanwhile down in the village itself, if you want to cross the river but also wish to avoid a very long journey to the nearest bridge, why not take the hand cable ferry!
Back over the border into Monmouthshire, we have Usk Castle, which dates back to the first Norman incursions into Wales in the 12th century. Today, the castle is privately owned - which means that the remains have an air of eccentricity about them that you just don't get with National Trust or Cadw properties! Seriously. They ask for donations from visitors to pay for entry, but there is no one actually manning the gate. They simply trust visitors to be honest enough to leave a donation in the tin as they pass - and also ask all visitors to move a pebble each from one pot to another, so that they have a record of how many have passed by that day! It's all very low-tech.
As you climb the steep path up to the castle, this is the first sight that greets you:
Yep, visitors go at their own risk! Then as you reach the castle remains themselves, this is what you see:
How gorgeous is that! I wish I had a castle in my garden...
This is the sign on the gate as you go in:
And here they are - standing guard at the foot of the garrison tower, like good little guard geese!
Some more views around the castle interior:
(Yes, the support rail along that high wall does look rather flimsy. And yes, visitors are free to scramble around up there anyway!)
The remains of the chapel contain a very modern grave - that of Richard Humphreys and his wife Anne, who were responsible for excavating the castle in the 1930s and planted the gardens in and around it.
This strange monument stands just outside the castle walls - I have no idea what it is!
Also just outside the castle walls is this pets graveyard
The castle is owned by the Humphrey family, who live in Castle House, which incorporates part of the original medieval gatehouse
Also part of the original medieval structure later rebuilt for alternate use, this is the garage:
And last but not least, have a random view along the River Usk, just because
4. Is anyone else watching The Secret of Crickley Hall, the Beeb's current Sunday night mini-series? So creepy! Next week's third and final installment looks like it's going to be a real thrill ride - I can't wait!
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Date: 2012-11-26 07:50 pm (UTC)Poor Chelsea! I ruptured an ear drum once and it was awful. I hope she feels better soon.
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Date: 2012-11-26 08:09 pm (UTC)You bet I'm watching The Secret of Crickley Hall - jeez, it's scary! I'm on the edge of my seat, fearing for all of them. It's brilliant :)
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Date: 2012-11-26 08:25 pm (UTC)I'm being so good about Crickley Hall, not looking up info about the book it's based on. Instead I'm just perched on the edge of my seat biting my fingernails every week!
Then last night I had all kinds of cognitive dissonance because Maester Luwin from Game of Thrones turned up, and he looks sinister in this...
no subject
Date: 2012-11-26 08:27 pm (UTC)I also ruptured an ear drum once, when I was very young - very painful!
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Date: 2012-11-26 09:48 pm (UTC)Lovely photos. The thing I love most about Symonds Yat is the name. I mean, how completely hatstand can you get?
Crickley Hall... oh yes. Creepy creepy! I'm catching it on iPlayer and was surprised to find myself watching it because I associate Herbert with horror stories and I'm not really keen on anything more horrific than Dr Who. But oh my goodness it's good! Are they going to excavate the well, do you suppose? Will Mr Cribben get his comeuppance? I keep wanting to write that as 'crippen'. Hurry up please next week - I want to find out what happens!
no subject
Date: 2012-11-26 10:32 pm (UTC)I'm watching Crickley Hall as well, and loving it. I have read the book but it was quite a few years ago so I can't remember much beyond the general scariness
Carol
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Date: 2012-11-27 11:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-27 11:36 am (UTC)I can't wait for the final instalment of Crickley Hall - I want to know how it all works out!
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Date: 2012-12-05 03:58 am (UTC)